Twistedstar's Nine Lives
by Devastate
Summary: The nine lives of Twistedstar, a fictional WindClan leader


"Come, Twistedheart," breathed Gladepool. She glanced at him, sympathy glittering in her leaf-green eyes. She added more gently: "Receiving your nine lives does not erase Morningstar's legacy. She is in StarClan now, among the best of them."

Twistedheart nodded, following Gladepool down the sloping rock, closer to the Moonpool. "She taught me more than any other cat could have, and-" He stopped, feeling his words choke in his throat.

"And you'll miss her." The WindClan medicine cat finished for him. She leaped a large puddle, left over from the storm. "I know what she meant to you."

Twistedheart glanced at her. "She was the only cat who thought I could be a warrior with this twisted paw. She was the only cat who would mentor me." He stared at his paws. "I will live up to what she expected."

Gladepool flicked her tail. "Good." She gestured to the Moonpool. "Crouch down and drink from it.

As the deputy of WindClan prepared to receive leadership from StarClan, he heard Gladepool murmur softly, "I will always be with you."

Twistedheart's eyes flew open, and he blinked in the unfamiliar light. The sight of this strange place stirred a strange feeling inside him; he felt a dull ache in his heart, flashes of dread and uncertainty, but he also felt a peculiar happiness, contentedness. WindClan scent danced and weaved over the moorland in front of him, and ThunderClan, RiverClan, and ShadowClan scents floated beyond WindClan's.

A voice suddenly spoke to Twistedheart, as soft as that of his mother in the nursery, but as hard as that of Morningstar, then Morningfoot, during one of their tough training sessions- requested by Twistedpaw. "Welcome, Twistedheart." It rang with familiarity, yet he did not recognize it.

"Are you ready?" The voice spoke again. As Twistedheart nodded, starry warriors began emerging from the trees and bracken in the distance. Within a heartbeat, they had come to him.

One cat was breaking away from the others. Twistedheart's heart froze with grief and gratitude as he spotted Morningstar's dappled gray pelt. "I miss you!" He blurted out, only managing to bite his tongue before he asked her to come back.

"Already?" Morningstar's eyes momentarily sparked with amusement, but then they glazed over again. "You will miss me more before too long..." she murmured. "There is trouble ahead for the Clan." She straightened. "Come here."

Twistedheart padded forward into his old leader's shadow, pausing expectantly.

"With this life I give you courage," she meowed. "Face danger without fear, and be ready to have each life ripped from you in every battle. Believe the same of your warriors."

Hot agony streaked though Twistedheart, burning him to the bone. Fire blazed through him, and he felt a snarl rising in his throat as a vision of ShadowClan warriors crossing his border surged into his head. When he let the growl go, the pain dimmed and subsided. As he opened his eyes, he saw Morningstar padding away.

Leopardheart, a previous WindClan medicine cat, replaced her. "With this life I give you wisdom. Never fight a losing battle. Never surrender a winning battle. You will know the difference."

A strange feeling crawled through Twistedheart's pelt, raising it on end. It was not pain, but it was certainly not comfortable.

Six more cats of Twistedheart's Clan padded to him, giving him the gifts of empathy, ferocity, humor, love, mentoring, and trust; he saw Spottedfur, Nightclaw, Rosewhisker, Goldenstream, Nettlepelt, and Mistkit again. One more.

A lean, whitish-silver cat was now padding toward him. Twistedheart did not know her, but she radiated a cloud of power, pride, and confidence in her stride.

"Do you know me?" Her mew was soft, caressing, like a mother's.

Twistedheart shook his head. "No. I'm sorry."

She purred, shaking her head. "I am Wind, one of the first four leaders of the Clans. You will kindle a new flame for WindClan, burning though the forests and lands."

Wind stepped to Twistedheart, holding her muzzle to his head. "With this life I give you faith. Never doubt that StarClan is with you. We will be alongside you every pawstep of your new journey, and you must never give in to what looks like the easy way out." Her breath stirred his cheek. "Have faith."

_Have faith_. Twistedheart closed his eyes, wondering if he would ever feel alone again. StarClan were with him, and as they called out his new name, Twistedstar, he basked in the glow of them. _I will serve all of the Clans, not just my own, until the day I join you_. He bristled softly. _But WindClan will be the greatest._

_Twistedkit is gone._

And Twistedstar would lead WindClan like an everlasting fire.


End file.
